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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2017 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/free-for-all-what-my-raptr-stats-say-about-my-gaming-style/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/free-for-all-what-my-raptr-stats-say-about-my-gaming-style/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/free-for-all-what-my-raptr-stats-say-about-my-gaming-style/#comments

I've had a love/hate relationship with Raptr, the free game tracking service and social network. I used it much of the time when it first came out but then fell out of love with it when it stopped detecting many of the indie and browser-based MMOs that I played. I picked it up again recently and have been attempting to keep it going any time I game. I like being able to communicate with people through the network, but I mainly enjoy looking over my stats as a gamer to see just how flighty I can be.

The system isn't perfect, of course. Either I need to set the app to start when my PC does, or I just need to get better at remembering to start it when I begin a gaming session. And even though I play many, many different types of games and MMOs, the network still doesn't automatically recognize many of the smaller titles I like to play.

So even though there are some gaps in my wall, I thought it'd be interesting to look at the info there to see just how much gaming I am doing.
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beau-hindmanbrowsercasualculturef2pfantasyfeaturedffafree for allfree-for-allfree-to-playfreemiummiscellaneousmmofpsopinionraptrraptr-rewardssandboxservicessocial-networksocial-networkingvelvet-ropeWed, 19 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500319|20831879https://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/25/fotopedia-reporter-for-ipad-lets-you-create-and-share-your-photo/https://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/25/fotopedia-reporter-for-ipad-lets-you-create-and-share-your-photo/https://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/25/fotopedia-reporter-for-ipad-lets-you-create-and-share-your-photo/#comments

Fotopedia Reporter is a unique, free iPad app that I would describe as a socially aware, digital coffee table book that lets you see and share photos that tell stories. The stories can be travel photos, landscapes, a restaurant visit or a dive trip. Anything that would be of interest to others that you know or don't know.

To help you get started, the app provides some attractive designs. Your creation can be shared on Facebook or Twitter, or you can email a web link and it can be viewed in a browser. You can view others' projects and leave comments. Of course, you don't have to be a contributor, you can just browse the many stories and photos submitted.

One question I had to the developers was the issue of rights. The answer is that people who publish photos choose their license type (all rights reserved, creative commons or public domain) and the poster retains the rights. The terms of use allows Fotopedia to advertise on its own properties, and partner properties, and the images you submit can be used to promote Fotopedia.

%Gallery-186799%

Why submit your stories? Mostly to get an audience. Fotopedia products get millions of views across its 14 apps and websites. Don't think of Fotopedia as simply a slide show. It's the stories behind the images that are just as important. Tell your stories, share them publicly or privately, get some feedback and create a community of people you'll enjoy knowing.

It's a bit hard to fully describe what this app offers, but it's worth a look. For those interested in communicating visually, it's a very well-thought-out tool. If you want to see what the app can do, Fotopedia Reporter is available on the web. It's fully functional, but I like it best on the iPad Retina display.

Fotopedia Reporter requires internet connectivity to work, and needs iOS 5.0 or later on your iPad.

Nintendo has released a web tool for use in the 3DS' internet browser, which allows the user to share screenshots from compatible games on Twitter and Tumblr. So far, only Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Tomodachi Collection: New Life work with the service – our friends at Engadget attempted to upload a picture taken with the 3DS' camera and were given an error about "incompatible software."

No indication from Nintendo that a westernized version of the utility is in the works, but the Japanese tool still works on this side of the globe, provided you can either read Japanese, or have a lot patience and spare time. Folks interested in investigating should point their 3DS browsers to i.nintendo.net.
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3dsnintendonintendo-of-japanscreenshotssharingsocialsocial-networkingtumblrtwitterSat, 20 Apr 2013 21:00:00 -040011|20546300https://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/world-tekken-federation-membership-free-with-every-copy-of-tek/https://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/world-tekken-federation-membership-free-with-every-copy-of-tek/https://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/world-tekken-federation-membership-free-with-every-copy-of-tek/#comments

Namco's planned social network tie-in for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 won't cost you a dime to enjoy beyond the initial purchase the game. World Tekken Federation integration – an online destination where players can link their PSN account or Xbox Live gamertag and see select stats in real-time – will be online and ready to go when Tekken Tag Tournament 2 launches on September 11.

Being a game developer means more than just stretching your talent to its full capacity in the name of progressive gaming. These days, game developers are in the public eye much more than ever before as a result of social networking and blogs.

Sometimes we may find ourselves following certain devs' personal lives more than normal, thanks to an appreciation of their work on our favorite game. Those devs are certainly free to express their non-game-related views where they want, but there may be times when these views go against our own. When it comes to politics and religion, especially, it can be a touchy situation.

So how do you handle these expressions? If you disagree or feel that their views are particularly extreme, do you confront them? Do you un-follow and ignore them? Or do you accept their point of view and focus on the reason you follow them in the first place? Let us know!

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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culturedaily-grindmiscellaneousopinionpoliticsreligionsocial-mediasocial-networkingtdgthe daily grindthe-daily-grindFri, 08 Jun 2012 08:00:00 -0400319|20253638https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/free-for-all-why-social-gaming-could-destroy-mmos-and-how-we-fi/https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/free-for-all-why-social-gaming-could-destroy-mmos-and-how-we-fi/https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/free-for-all-why-social-gaming-could-destroy-mmos-and-how-we-fi/#comments

I am a huge fan of social media. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus -- it all makes sense to me and has shown to be a very useful tool in not only communicating with friends but finding new games, developers, and websites. My Twitter feed provides enough news and information that I can skip any standard media. I haven't watched a local newscast for a long, long time. On top of that, I can communicate with readers in real time, sharing photos and tidbits of cool.

Has social media affected MMO gaming? It definitely has. Watch any smart developer's Twitter feed and you will see the community team interacting directly with players, answering questions, hosting contests, and helping players feel as though the developers are actual people. Social media has also changed how we connect to our games, MMO or not.

All of this means that everything is social now. Going to the dentist? Share it with your friends. Defeated a boss monster on your Xbox? Tweet it. Just picked up that epic sword in Dark Age of Camelot? Post it to your Facebook. Heck, many MMOs now have a Twitter or Facebook option built right into the client. All of this instant connectivity is nice, but it's possible that the "massively" part of MMO will soon apply to any game. What will this do to the genre?
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beau-hindmanbrowserbusiness modelscasualcityvilleculturedark-age-of-camelotf2pfacebookfarmvillefeaturedffafree for allfree-for-allfree-to-playfreemiumgame mechanicsgoogle-plushero-academylord-of-the-rings-onlinemiscellaneousopinionsocialsocial-gamingsocial-networkingtwittervelvet-ropezyngaWed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 -0400319|20227408https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/new-diablo-iii-launch-site-collapses-under-the-weight-of-fans/https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/new-diablo-iii-launch-site-collapses-under-the-weight-of-fans/https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/new-diablo-iii-launch-site-collapses-under-the-weight-of-fans/#comments

With just over a month left until Diablo III is released, Blizzard launched its new Darkness Falls, Heroes Rise minisite to get people excited. Fans can enter an art contest with some big prizes or create a banner to unlock an exclusive in-game banner sigil that will never be given away outside this event. The site is one big social media campaign, with exclusive content that unlocks when players share enough contest entries on Facebook and Twitter. Fansite DiabloFans revealed that the unlocks will include developer diaries, wallpapers and more. Once the share meter reaches 100%, a final epic unveiling will occur that Blizzard's Bashiok says "is going to melt people's brain meats."

When the site first launched, fans reported everything from PHP errors to lost connections and 404 pages. The site has since been stabilised but doesn't appear to be working as intended. The galleries are no longer updating, confirmation emails are not being sent for entries, and the unlock level hasn't budged from 0%. As we'll need just under 3% per day to meet the 100% goal, players are concerned that if the meter isn't broken, then expectations may have been set too high.
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action-rpgbattlenetbetasblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcontestsd3diablodiablo iiidiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidiablofansdiablofans.comfacebookfantasygothic-fantasymultiplayernews itemsonline-multiplayerrpgsharesocial-mediasocial-networkingtwitterSun, 08 Apr 2012 17:00:00 -0400319|20210917https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/ask-massively-a-world-without-boats-edition/https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/ask-massively-a-world-without-boats-edition/https://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/ask-massively-a-world-without-boats-edition/#comments

As you probably have already ignored, the big news of the day is that the world's boats have all been lost due to mysterious boat-related circumstances. Unfortunately, as human beings are extremely stupid and easily thwarted, no one can remember how to build a boat, nor did anyone take any notes on how one might build a boat. There aren't even pieces of information about how boats work. Long story short, Australia is now completely on its own.

In less boat-related news, it's time for this week's installment of Ask Massively. Written while not on a boat, it's fielding questions about the ubiquity of social networking and Collector's Editions that cost nearly as much as a boat. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
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adviceadvice-columnask massivelyask-massivelycollectors-editionculturefacebookfeaturedhumormassively-metametamiscellaneousmmo industrynetworkingopinionsocial-networkingThu, 15 Mar 2012 17:00:00 -0400319|20192602https://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/gface-crytek-backed-streaming-game-network-goes-into-beta/https://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/gface-crytek-backed-streaming-game-network-goes-into-beta/https://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/gface-crytek-backed-streaming-game-network-goes-into-beta/#comments

No longer content with making incredibly technologically advanced games, Crytek is going after the casual space with a browser-based, social gaming platform called Gface (so that's what that trademark was for!), developed and maintained by an affiliate, also called Gface.

Gface is sort of like a game-focused Facebook: a cross-platform social network designed to facilitate playing casual or hardcore, 2D or 3D games with people, and finding more people to play with. Games are delivered through a plugin based on the "Seed Engine," enabling installation-free, streaming gameplay.

If you're interested in checking out Gface, the company is hosting signups for a closed beta. Maybe if you get in, you can find out what the games are!
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crytekgfacemobilepcsocial-networkingstreamingSun, 05 Feb 2012 10:30:00 -050011|20164672https://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/iwata-3ds-is-nintendo-priority-even-at-the-sake-of-short-ter/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/iwata-3ds-is-nintendo-priority-even-at-the-sake-of-short-ter/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/iwata-3ds-is-nintendo-priority-even-at-the-sake-of-short-ter/#comments

In a recent Q&A following a semi-annual investor's meeting, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata laid out the company's plans for its slow-starting handheld, the 3DS. "We came to the conclusion that we needed to make that bold investment," Iwata explained, "instead of focusing just on this term's profitability, so that we would be able to make the Nintendo 3DS an important foundation for Nintendo for years to come." He added that the company expects the system's profitability to improve dramatically during the fiscal year ending March 2013.

Iwata mentioned that, falling in line with this strategy, unspecified 3DS games were delayed from the holiday release window to prevent being overlooked due to overcrowding. The only major first-party 3DS titles scheduled for the rest of the year are Super Mario 3D Land (November 13) and Mario Kart 7 (December 4).

He also discussed the company's plans to expand the eShop with an "add-on" marketplace for individual games, and the ability to access the store using PCs and Smartphones. You can read more about this initiative in our post from last week, though it lacks Iwata's almost comically tardy discovery of social networking platforms. He's kind of like your grandpa who just discovered Facebook, likes everything you post, and leaves embarrassing comments on all your pictures in all-caps.
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3dseshopiwatanintendoprofitabilitysatoru-iwatasocial-networkingTue, 01 Nov 2011 13:01:00 -040011|20095648https://wow.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/drama-mamas-taking-guild-drama-to-facebook/https://wow.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/drama-mamas-taking-guild-drama-to-facebook/https://wow.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/drama-mamas-taking-guild-drama-to-facebook/#comments

Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

Drama is as drama does.

Dear Drama Mamas,

This is something I thought you'd be interested in. WoW being a social community and Facebook being the king of social connectivity right now, I'd like to share recent activities in my guild involving Facebook.

To start from the beginning, about a year ago I quit my first guild with a large group to go form a raiding guild. The guild we left was a very large rp guild on an rp server. I was reluctant to leave the guild, as I had a lot of friends there, including the GM and it was my first guild ever. Needless to say, the way the group presented our leaving did not sit well with the gm of the guild we left. Toons were kicked, we were black listed, harassed, snubbed, etc.

Google Plus' casual gaming cabinet may not be as fully stocked as the Facebook alternative, but one crucial missing piece of the puzzle has just been filled in: Megalithic social monolith Zynga has ported CityVille, their most popular Facebook game, to Google's fledgling platform.

The release comes shortly after the end of Google Plus' closed beta, and now that its e-doors are open to the public, we doubt this will be the end of Zynga's extra-Facebook expansion. Seeing as the company just posted a 95 percent drop in profit year over year, developing its products beyond its existing user base is a shrewd move.
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casual-gamingcityvillefacebookgooglegoogle-plusmacpcsocial-networkingzyngaWed, 28 Sep 2011 02:00:00 -040011|20066766https://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/real-world-political-campaigning-headed-to-farmville/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/real-world-political-campaigning-headed-to-farmville/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/real-world-political-campaigning-headed-to-farmville/#comments

You can tell a lot about a person based on their agricultural lot in Farmville: For instance, one look at our fertile lands, and you'll know we're firm supporters of firm arugula, well-fed livestock and laying out pumpkin patches in the shapes of genitalia. Also, if you check back in a few months, you'll be able to tell how much we love ex-New York gubernatorial candidate and Rent is Too Damn High Party founder Jimmy McMillan, because we'll have his campaign signs plastered all over our farmgrounds.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, political marketing consultant Michael Hendrix says Farmville will allow players to post candidate signage and do door-to-door campaigning later this year. Hendrix works for the Michelle Bachmann presidential campaign, and didn't specify whether users could campaign for any other candidates. We've contacted Zynga to find out the specifics.

Also, we should be more specific: We're talking about campaigning for real-life political positions. Not the mayor of Farmville, a position we'd still probably vote to fill with Jimmy McMillan. (Come on, that facial hair? How could we not?)
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facebookfarmvillepcpoliticssocial-networkingzyngaMon, 26 Sep 2011 22:00:00 -040011|20066706https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/12/lost-pages-of-taborea-test-driving-magic-hub/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/12/lost-pages-of-taborea-test-driving-magic-hub/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/12/lost-pages-of-taborea-test-driving-magic-hub/#comments

I'm going to jump on this one before anyone else does. The company Overwolf developed a little application that provides MMO players with social networking, web, video and screenshot functionality without the need to alt+tab out of a game.

It's a lot like what Trion has built into RIFT, only in a third-party package, and Frogster partnered with Overwolf to provide a Runes of Magic-branded version called Magic Hub -- complete with RoM-specific buttons.

After some technical problems, I got Magic Hub to work and put it through its paces. There are other applications out there that provide a wide range of functionality for gamers, but since this one is customized for RoM, I thought I'd give my impressions.
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facebookfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivegmailimpressionintegrated-webintegrationjeremy-strattonlost pages of taborealost-pages-of-taboreamagic-hubmsn-messengeropinionoverlayoverwolfromrunes of magicrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentscreenshotsskypesocial-networkingsteamthird-partythird-party-applicationstwittervideoyoutubeMon, 12 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0400319|20039798https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/embers-of-caerus-mmo-guilds-suck/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/embers-of-caerus-mmo-guilds-suck/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/embers-of-caerus-mmo-guilds-suck/#comments

Forsaken Studio's newest sandbox MMO may not even have a proper website yet, but that doesn't mean Embers of Caerus can't make waves. In the team's first dev blog, a gauntlet is thrown down to all other MMOs: Your guilds suck, apparently. Nothing personal.

"For that part traditional MMORPG guilds have done their job, and they haven't done it badly, but it can certainly be improved," the team writes. It's their opinion that guilds are a little too exclusive and inflexible, not allowing players to mingle in multiple groups as they would in real life.

Using Facebook as an example of how people categorize friends into different groups, the devs show that we have grown to expect flexibility in structuring our relationships and social circles. It's the opinion of the team that MMOs should evolve with the times to include the same types of features: "Once we break the bonds of traditional guilds, and work instead to define ways to organise and control our relationships and groups, the possibilities are pretty much endless."

Embers of Caerus plans to allow players as much flexibility as possible in their goals and their social groupings, so that an adventurer could be part of both a thieving guild and a merchant troupe if so desired. The title is only a few weeks into development at this point.

[Thanks to the good folks on the Massively forums for bringing this to our attention!]
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culturedev diariesdev-blogdev-diarydeveloper-blogdeveloper-diaryembers-of-caerusfacebookfantasyforsaken-studiosguildguildsnew titlesnew-titlesandboxsocial-circlessocial-networkingthievesTue, 30 Aug 2011 13:00:00 -0400319|20030161https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/gpotato-partners-with-overwolf-for-social-media-client/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/gpotato-partners-with-overwolf-for-social-media-client/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/gpotato-partners-with-overwolf-for-social-media-client/#comments

gPotato is partnering with Overwolf to launch a new in-game client overlay, according to a new press blurb released this morning. Who the heck is Overwolf? The company was founded in 2010 and is responsible for the Overwolf Client, a product that "adds social features and functionality to games enabling players to share, socialize and evangelize for their favorite game."

The software features an integrated web browser, Facebook, Twitter, MSN, and Skype support, as well as the ability to record and share in-game videos and screenshots. gPotato's in-game client is customized and optimized for its stable of free-to-play games, and you can see the service in action via the beta that is currently attached to Aika Online.
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cultureevangelistfantasyfree-to-playgame-evangelistgpotatomiscellaneousmmo industrymmo-industrynews itemsoverwolfoverwolf-clientpress-releasesocial-gamingsocial-mediasocial-networkingTue, 30 Aug 2011 12:30:00 -0400319|20030258https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/sony-reinventing-playstation-home-to-be-more-like-an-mmo/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/sony-reinventing-playstation-home-to-be-more-like-an-mmo/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/sony-reinventing-playstation-home-to-be-more-like-an-mmo/#comments

When it relaunches this fall, PlayStation Home will look radically different, resembling a sleek mall with plenty to do and faster functionality for those who want to get right to their games. But between playing commercial titles, gamers are encouraged to hang out for a while, which is where MMO elements come into play.

The new Home has a number of districts, as an amusement park would, and in them players can pick up quests, go on treasure hunts, and explore these video game-themed zones to find hidden mysteries. Sony also promises that it will incorporate persistent, ongoing stories, similar to those you'd find in MMOs, such as an alien invasion that affects all of the areas.

Sony is hoping that the 23 million Home users will embrace this new experience and form stronger social connections through it.
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adventureamusement-parksconsoleconsoleshomehorrormiscellaneousmmo industryplaystationplaystation-3playstation-homeps3rebootreimaginerevampsocial-networksocial-networkingsonysportstheme-parktheme-parksvirtual worldsTue, 23 Aug 2011 09:00:00 -0400319|20024443https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/single-player-games-will-be-dead-in-three-years-says-industry-a/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/single-player-games-will-be-dead-in-three-years-says-industry-a/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/single-player-games-will-be-dead-in-three-years-says-industry-a/#comments

So game development studios desperately want to move the entirety of our hobby online in order to mimic the recurring revenue model of MMORPGs. That's not exactly news, but it is news when an industry analyst makes an eyebrow-raising claim regarding the immediate future of the genre. To that effect, Eurogamer recently attended a "closed-door, Sony-organized panel discussion on the future of video games," which featured an analyst predicting the end of single-player titles by 2014.

Mark Cerny, a "veteran video game consultant," used the 2009 single-player RPG Demon's Souls as an example, saying that its mixture of traditional offline gameplay and social connectivity to other gamers experiencing the same title is the wave of the future.

"The funny thing here is, we don't even know what to call this. Is it single-player or is it multiplayer? We don't even have the words. It's kind of Orwellian. If you don't have any word for freedom you can't have a revolution," Cerny said. What exactly is that revolution, and will it be good for gamers? Check back in 2014 to find out.
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always-connectedalways-onanalystbig-brotherconnectivityconsolesculturedo-not-wantdrmgame-industrymark-cernymiscellaneousmmo industrymmo-industrynews itemsorwellianpredictionsrpgssingle-player-gamingsocial-gamingsocial-networkingsonyWed, 17 Aug 2011 13:30:00 -0400319|20020033https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/study-suggests-one-in-three-gamers-has-purchased-virtual-goods/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/study-suggests-one-in-three-gamers-has-purchased-virtual-goods/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/study-suggests-one-in-three-gamers-has-purchased-virtual-goods/#comments

Let's say you're playing an MMO with two of your mates. They could be online friends, real-world friends, or some combination of both. According to a new study conducted by PlaySpan and VGMarket, one of you has used real-world money to purchase virtual items.

The research was compiled last month and samples a pool of 1,000 gamers drawn from a VGMarket database. While the one-in-three statistic is interesting in its own right, even more compelling is the evidence that suggests 57 percent of participants purchase virtual items on a monthly basis.

You might think that social networking games are responsible for the lion's share of these percentages, but VGMarket's data show console games with online play accounting for 51 percent of the purchases, with social titles claiming second place at 30 percent (MMOs came in third, if you're curious). The study presents quite a number of curious factoids despite its relatively small sample size, and you can check out all the findings at the official PlaySpan website. It's also worth noting that downloading the full study requires providing PlaySpan with your personal info via a web registration form.
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business modelscasualconsole-gamesconsolesculturef2pfree-to-playmmo industrymmo-industrymoneynews itemsplayspanpress-releasereal-moneyreal-money-tradingreal-world-moneyrmtsocial-networkingstatisticsvgmarketvirtual-goodsThu, 04 Aug 2011 19:00:00 -0400319|20009758https://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/words-with-friends-coming-to-facebook/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/words-with-friends-coming-to-facebook/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/words-with-friends-coming-to-facebook/#comments

What's the pleasure in absolutely humiliating your friends and family in a battle of verbal wits if you have no way of flaunting your spelling superiority to your other friends and family? Zynga has announced a perfect new channel for you to broadcast your Words with Friends victories: Facebook, which will receive its own version of the Scrabble-like application, complete with the social networking features you've come to expect from the platform.

No release date has been announced for the wildly popular mobile title's port, though Kotaku reports that when it does launch, it will be completely compatible with Words with Friends players on iOS and Android smartphones. Personally, we think Facebook players would have a distinct advantage in this scenario, considering they can have the Scrabulizer open with a single, dishonest click.
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facebookpcscrabblesocial-networkingwords-with-friendszyngazynga-with-friendsMon, 01 Aug 2011 15:30:00 -040011|20006366https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/order-and-chaos-online-now-available-on-facebook/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/order-and-chaos-online-now-available-on-facebook/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/order-and-chaos-online-now-available-on-facebook/#comments

Order and Chaos is branching out from its iOS roots, as Gameloft has brought the mobile MMORPG to the Facebook social networking platform. The title is free-to-play through level 10, at which point users will need to fork over Facebook credits in lieu of a subscription fee. A Gameloft press release details the pricing structure as follows:

1 day: 1 FB Credit

1 month: 10 FB Credits

3 months: 20 FB Credits

6 months: 30 FB Credits

If you're wondering, 50 Facebook credits equals approximately $5.00, so you're looking at a pretty sweet deal when it comes to accessing a game that has been labeled the mobile equivalent of World of Warcraft. Order and Chaos features four races (Elves, Humans, Orcs, and Undead), as well as over 1000 skills, 2000 unique equipment items, and 500 quests.
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browserbrowser-basedcasualf2pfacebookfantasyfree-to-playgameloftmmo industrymobilenew titlesnews itemsorder-and-chaosorder-and-chaos-onlinepress-releasesocial-networkingThu, 21 Jul 2011 12:30:00 -0400319|19996681https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/eve-is-real-website-presents-visual-record-of-eve-hosts-launch/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/eve-is-real-website-presents-visual-record-of-eve-hosts-launch/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/eve-is-real-website-presents-visual-record-of-eve-hosts-launch/#comments

Two weeks ago, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced a new advertising campaign with a twist. An external marketing company was hired to create a unique virtual museum of EVE artwork, screenshots and videos that would function as a growing visual record of whatEVE means to its players. People interested in seeing what EVE is all about could then skim through the site and hopefully get a better impression of what it's like to be part of the EVE community. Players got a head-start in uploading content to the EVE Is Real website last week and we've been eagerly awaiting the website officially going live. Although no official announcement has been made, it appears that the EVE Is Real website has launched.

In an interesting move, CCP will be rewarding every single EVE player with several thousand of its new microtransaction currency Aurum if the website takes off. A running total is maintained of the number of times images and videos on the site have been shared via Facebook and Twitter, and at certain share levels every single EVE player will be gifted a lump sum of Aurum.
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alienwareaurumccpccp-eveccp-gamescompetitioncontestcontestscultureeveeve onlineeve-ccpeve-is-realeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefacebookgeforcelaunchloremmo industrysci-fiscreenshotscreenshotssocial-mediasocial-networkingtrailertwittervideoWed, 20 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0400319|19996133https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/bigpoint-and-mail-ru-partnering-for-global-distribution-deal/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/bigpoint-and-mail-ru-partnering-for-global-distribution-deal/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/bigpoint-and-mail-ru-partnering-for-global-distribution-deal/#comments

Bigpoint and Mail.Ru Group have just announced a corporate partnership that aims to bring titles from each publisher to new prospective markets. Bigpoint, a browser MMO specialist most famous for its free-to-play Battlestar Galactica title, will bring its games to Mail.Ru's Russian-speaking audience via the latter's existing portal delivery service.

Similarly, Bigpoint users will find Mail.Ru titles like GodsWar Online accessible via the Bigpoint website. Bigpoint games will also be making their way to Mail.Ru's Odnoklassniki and My World social networking services.

"As successful browser-game providers, Bigpoint.com and Mail.Ru are a match made in heaven. We're happy to expand both our game portfolio and our international network of partners at the same time," said Bigpoint CEO Nils Holger Henning in a recent press release.
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battlestar galactica onlinebattlestar-galactica-onlinebigpointbrowser-gamesbusiness modelsf2pfantasyfree-to-playgodswar-onlinemail.rumiscellaneousmmo industrynews itemsodnoklassnikiodnoklassniki-rupartnershippress--releasepress-releasesci-fisocial-networkingTue, 14 Jun 2011 12:30:00 -0400319|19966565https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/the-daily-grind-are-social-media-connections-in-mmos-useless/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/the-daily-grind-are-social-media-connections-in-mmos-useless/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/the-daily-grind-are-social-media-connections-in-mmos-useless/#comments

I first started to notice it in Champions Online. Cryptic gave us the ability to broadcast our achievements in the game over Twitter: "CapnCrunch has reached level 10!" At the time, it felt like a silly idea that wouldn't catch on, but for some reason, it has. More and more we're seeing studios working hard to integrate popular social networks into their MMOs, and more and more I'm wondering... why?

RIFT has been big on doing this, implementing the ability not only to set your account to automatically tweet achievements ("Hey guys, I jumped off a bridge and didn't die!") but also to post them in Facebook. The game also allows you to record video and take screenshots to post online, which seems to me to be more useful but still probably not as captivating to a potential personal audience as one might hope.

So my question today concerns these social media connections in MMOs -- are they useless? Are they just a fad that few people use? Do the ones who do use them end up annoying their followers with a stream of spam messages? Or do people actually enjoy the ability to have their games tie in with their social networks and see how their friends are progressing?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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achievementschampionschampions-onlineculturefacebookmiscellaneousmyspaceopinionriftscreenshotssocial-mediasocial-networksocial-networkingsocial-networkstdgthe daily grindthe-daily-grindtumblrtweettweetstwittervideoyoutubeWed, 18 May 2011 08:00:00 -0400319|19941339https://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/openfeint-sold-for-104-million-to-gree/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/openfeint-sold-for-104-million-to-gree/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/openfeint-sold-for-104-million-to-gree/#comments

GREE, arguably the largest social media company in Japan, has cut a check for $104 million to acquire mobile games (think iOS and Android) platform OpenFeint. The goal is to "build a global ecosystem of distribution channels for game developers" through the combined efforts of the two companies, both of which have told Develop that OpenFeint's brand and CEO will remain intact following the completion of the purchase.

OpenFeint currently touts a user base of 75 million across Android and iOS, and even saw a huge spike in new users and OpenFeint-compatible game downloads over the Christmas holiday. Along with GREE's 25 million users in Japan, the two will have access to nearly 100 million people. And yes, we did that math all on our own.
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androidbusinessgreeiosmobilesocial-networkingWed, 27 Apr 2011 01:15:00 -040011|19924341